Matthew 15:1-14 - A matter of the heart

God clearly says, 'Respect your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.' But you weasel around that by saying, 'Whoever wants to, can say to father and mother, What I owed to you I've given to God.' That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God's command by your rules.

Funny how I miraculously skipped yesterday's devotion, so that I'd do it now. Sometimes I'm like a Pharisee myself. But often it's just so, so hard to respect parents, when our upbringing promotes fairness and logic. To us, the "right" way to do things would be whatever's the most convenient, or most efficient, or most reasonable, or most logical, or quickest or just generally more fair. Whereas the Asian culture promotes the idea that the higher up you are in the social hierarchy, the more "correct" you are.

So if an elderly lady preferred benches in the park, whereas the youths preferred a basketball court, then the correct option would be to build the benches. Even though the youths might use the park more.

I remember exchanging a conversation with my paternal grandpa.

Grandpa: You should wait until your mother is bored before you ask her to do this.
Me: But why? She tells me to help her sometimes, and when I don't go straight away, because I'm clearly the busier one, she yells at me for not acting immediately! It's either she does the same for me, or I get the luxury of choosing my own time to respond to her requests.
Grandpa: No you still have to wait.
Me: But why does she get special privileges? I'm the one who's tight with time!
Grandpa: Of course! She's your mother!

There is no required reason, it's not why it is, it's who we are. My upbringing is really, really making it hard to understand it. Please help me to see strengths, not weaknesses, and please humble my heart.